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Vlad Taltos
Vladimir Taltos is an Easterner and member of House Jhereg. Originally, Vlad's family was from the eastern kingdom of Fenario, though Vlad himself was raised in Adrilankha. He is a fencer, an outstanding witch, a mediocre sorcerer, and a gifted but dangerously incompetent elder sorcerer. He is very good with thrown knives or shuriken, proficient with a lepip, and a (former) assassin-by-trade, probably ranking among the top five or ten of that profession in the Empire - although the first position belongs to Mario. He was relatively recently granted the Imperial title of Count Szurke, and is also technically still a baronet of House Jhereg. His most notable continuing activity: providing food for his familiar, the jhereg Loiosh (and his jhereg mate Rocza). Vlad has been known to use the aliases Lord Mawdyear, Vlad Merss, Kaldor, Padriac, Savn, Vaan, and Sandor. He is described as being somewhat shorter than a young Dragaeran, with dark brown eyes and hair (including a mustache). He also seems somewhat bowlegged to a Dragaeran observer. History Raised by his father, Pishta (Vlad's mother, Marishka having apparently died when he was very young), Vlad grew up working in a restaurant somewhere outside of the Easterner's Ghetto in Adrilankha. After many years, his father spent their entire life savings to purchase a baronetcy in the Jhereg (see Joining Houses), in order to provide what he perceived as a "better life" for his son. It should be said that Vlad's father hated all things "Eastern" and endeavored to raise his son with the belief that Dragaerans were superior. In this he was not especially successful. (In fact, Vlad developed a secret hatred of Dragaerans which was aided by the fact that Orca bullies would beat him up on a regular basis.) To his father's dismay, Vlad's grandfather Noish-pa taught him witchcraft, Eastern-style fencing, and helped him acquire his familiar Loiosh. Vlad was fourteen when his father died of one of the many plagues that were common in Draegara during the Interregnum. Vlad's father refused to allow his disease to be healed by witchcraft, due to his disdain for all things Eastern. The family could not afford the services of a Sorcerer, having spent so much money purchasing a title in the Jhereg. Vlad himself would have probably died of the same disease, but he was healed by his grandfather using witchcraft. After his father's death, Vlad continued to run the family restaurant for about two years. He then sold it and (with the aid of Kiera the thief) joined the criminal Right Hand of the Jhereg as a low-level enforcer, working for Nielar. Here he was first partnered with Kragar, a Dragaeran Jhereg formerly of the House of the Dragon. Eventually, Vlad started accepting "work" (i.e. performing assassinations for other members of the Jhereg). This was Vlad's idea of a perfect job at the time, owing to his hatred of Dragaerans. After working in this business for a time, Vlad took the opportunity to replace his former boss, Tagichatn, and run the criminal side of a section of Adrilankha for himself. (Details on Vlad's rise within the Jhereg can be found in Taltos, and Yendi.) Shortly after this, Vlad was approached by Morrolan e'Drien and Sethra Lavode for his help in retrieving the staff containing the soul of Aliera e'Kieron. (And further, his help in venturing to the Paths of the Dead with Morrolan to restore Aliera's soul to her body.) It was at this time that Vlad "acquired" Spellbreaker, a magical chain that protected him against Dragaeran Sorcery. During one especially difficult period during his rise within the Jhereg (a war with another Jhereg boss named Laris), Vlad met an Eastern woman named Cawti—when she successfully assassinated him! Fortunately, Vlad was revivified by Aliera, and Vlad soon found he had more in common with Cawti (noticeably her hatred of Dragaerans) than differences, and the two quickly fell in love, and were soon married. (Yendi) Vlad had an encounter with The Blue Fox shortly after meeting Cawti, with both attempting to outwit the other over a personal matter.(Tiassa) '' It was shortly after this that Vlad was contacted by The Demon to perform some very special "work"—taking out Mellar, a former Jhereg Council member who had absconded with nine million Imperials. It was during this job that Vlad met Rocza, a female jhereg who agreed to help him complete his job. Shortly thereafter, Rocza became Loiosh's mate. (Jhereg) A few months after this, Vlad discovered, much to his chagrin, that Cawti had joined a group of Easterners in South Adrilankha who were working to overthrow The Empire. As a result of this, he found himself at odds with another Jhereg named Herth. After numerous foiled assassination attempts on both sides, Vlad eventually "negotiated" a peace with Herth, and then bought him out, taking over the Organization interests in South Adrilankha. (Teckla) The peace did not last long, however, as Vlad quickly found himself at odds with the rest of the Jhereg Organization over the events occuring in South Adrilankha. It was shortly after Vlad had murdered the king of Greenaere for Verra that the unrest in the Easterners' Ghetto came to a head (See Revolt of 244). As a result Boralinoi, a Jhereg Council member, arranged for Cawti's arrest by The Empire. This proved to be the final straw for Vlad, who went to the Empress with information implicating Boralinoi in the crime. This had major consequiences for Vlad, since even though Boralinoi was killed shortly thereafter, the rest of the Jhereg Council dedicated all of their resources to finding and ending Vlad's career permanently. For his actions, Vlad was made Count of Szurke (he may be the first Jhereg ever to receive an Imperial title). (Phoenix) Having no choice but to try to elude the assassins of the Jhereg, Vlad left his life in Adrilankha behind, and began wandering the countryside, searching for a new life. He has survived thus far with the help of two jhereg, a gold Phoenix Stone and a black one set together into an amulet, to mask him to sorcery and witchcraft, and a witch's amulet supplied by his Noish-pa to make teleportation less unsettling. At this time, he visited briefly with Noish-pa before making his way to his ancestral homeland of Fenario in search of his mothers' relatives. He was embroiled in a web of paranoia in the village of Burz, and was badly injured, only barely escaping and hiding out in the city of Fenario afterwards. His experiences in Burz teaches him a harsh lesson in the relationships between nobility, industry, witchcraft, and a Merchants' Guild.(Jhegaala) The lesson appears to have cost him several months' recovery time and the pinky on his left hand. Later, during a visit to Smallcliff, Vlad discovered the murder of Reins, the cart driver who had helped him infiltrate the keep of Loraan years earlier. Vlad then recruited the help of a young Teckla named Savn in killing the undead Athyra wizard. During this encounter, Savn was traumatized to the point of catatonia. (Athyra) Searching for a cure for Savn, Vlad later investigated the murder of a powerful Orca. He learned that the Empire's finances are not as stable as they seem, that he can be traced psychically through Loiosh, and that Kiera the thief was actually Sethra Lavode. (Vlad is the only person to know this last fact). (Orca) In ''Issola, Vlad was called upon to help rescue Morrolan and Aliera, who had been abducted by the Jenoine. Using Spellbreaker to locate the pair, Vlad and Teldra used Morrolan's Window to travel to the place where the pair were being held. During the escape from the Jenoine, which came with the aid of Verra, Vlad's arm was injured by a Jenoine weapon. Back on Dragaera, Vlad, along with Morrolan, Aliera, Verra, and Sethra Lavode made plans to stop the Jenoine's plan to hijak amorphia from the Lesser Sea of Chaos. During the battle, Lady Teldra was struck down by a morganti weapon. Using Spellbreaker, however, Vlad was able to re-constitue portions of Teldra's soul into the morganti weapon, fusing Spellbreaker into the weapon's hilt during the process. The result of this was the Great Weapon Godslayer, (or, as Vlad calls her "Lady Teldra") which is now bound to his very soul. Using this new weapon, Vlad was able to destroy one of the Jenoine, and drive the others off, foiling their plans, for now. Afterwards, Vlad decided to head into Adrilankha for a meal at Valabar's, despite the danger this might place him in at the hands of the Jhereg. While dining, Vlad encountered a young Dzurlord named Telnan, who shared his meal. Another visitor to the table, the notorious Mario Greymist, let Vlad know that his estranged wife Cawti was in trouble with the Left Hand of the Jhereg. After visiting with Cawti, Vlad agreed to help her with the situation. This involved unraveling a power play by the Left Hand, in conjunction with a struggle for control of the Jhereg Council; leaderless after the recent death of Curithne. With the help of Telnan, Vlad managed to broker a deal with the Left Hand (as well as with The Demon) to keep the Jhereg (both sides) from interfering with South Adrilankha until after the next Dragon reign. In exchange for this, Vlad finally learned about the existence of his son, Vlad Norathar from Cawti. Current Events After meeting with his son for the first time, and having one final meal at Valabar's, Vlad returned to his vagabond life on the run from the Jhereg. He spent the next four years living off the proceeds of his previously amassed fortune, as well as by relieving would-be highwaymen of their purses whenever they attempted to rob him. It was after one such escapade, about four years later, that Vlad learned of the arrest of Aliera e'Kieron, on the charge of using Elder Sorcery. An apparently politically motivated move by the Empress, with the assistance of Norathar, Vlad returned once more to Adrilankha to render assistance to his friend. Vlad has developed a close relationship with the Issola minstrel Sara, and the relationship has caused significant friction with her familiy. (Tiassa) Additional Notes Vlad's patron Goddess, more or less, is Verra, with whom both he, Aliera, and Morrolan have a somewhat personal relationship. According to Aliera, Vlad is the reincarnation of Dolivar, the founder of the house of Jhereg, and brother of Kieron. Needless to say, this information has had an effect on the hatred of Dragaerans Vlad has carried throughout his life. (This is also how Vlad is capable of using Elder Sorcery, which he has done only twice, nearly killing himself (and a number of others) on each occasion.) Notability Like nearly everyone's, Vlad's story begins in obscurity. But he continues to become more historically significant, and eventually destined, it seems, to become well-known. * In Phoenix, Vlad is well-known throughout the Jhereg, though perhaps not in a way he'd like. He also becomes a friend of the Empress, she grants him an almost-unprecedented (for an Easterner) Imperial Title and she probably still owes him a favour. * In Issola, Vlad is instrumental in repelling an attack by the Jenoine, a fact not yet known to the public but later discovered by Paarfi of Roundwood and therefore likely a part of history. * In Orca, Vlad is "deeply involved" in the Fyres affair, which eventually comes to the attention of Khaavren and Pel. * In Jhegaala, Vlad makes an anonymous gift to the Empress which she has no trouble guessing is from him. * In Iorich, Vlad and the Empress converse nearly as equals. * In the case of the False Jenoine Invasion, early on, Vlad becomes the subject of an Empire-wide manhunt. Later, details of Vlad's association with Empire notables such as Morrolan, Aliera, Sethra and the Empress, as well as his defense of the Empire from the Jenoine, and his holding of a Great Weapon, come to the attention of Khaavren and Pel. Pel, for one, is determined to know more about him. Khaavren accords Vlad grudging respect, in marked contrast to their meeting in Teckla. * Details like how he came by his Great Weapon, his friendship with Sethra Lavode, his discreet dealings with the Empress, Khaavren, Piro, Mario, Aliera, etc. would normally be enough on their own to bring him to the public eye. He has avoided fame so far by simply not advertising any of them. But with Pel and Khaavren now interested in him, this obscurity may change. * By some later date, he is considered important enough to become the subject of a history by Paarfi. * By the time of Tiassa, Vlad appears to be well on his way to becoming a publicly-known figure in the Empire, for better or for worse. Relations *Noish-pa (his Grandfather) *Baronet Pishta Taltos (his father (deceased)) *Marishka Merss Taltos (his mother (deceased)) *Ibronka Taltos (his paternal grandmother (deceased)) *Jani Taltos (his great uncle (deceased)) *Merss family in Burz, (deceased) *Cawti (his estranged wife) *Vlad Norathar (their son) *Loiosh (his familiar) and Rocza, Loiosh's mate *Kieron (his brother in a former life) *Aliera (his sibling (also in a former life)) *Devera (who will be his niece (sort of, see above) when she is born) Friends Living *Aibynn *Morrolan *Aliera *Kragar *Daymar *Ricard *Kiera *Zungaron *Omlo *Sara Deceased *Napper Undead *Sethra Lavode Other *Teldra (now Godslayer) *Verra, his goddess *The Necromancer, a demon Enemies Vlad has a LOT of enemies. Here are the ones we know about so far, with a brief rundown of why they don't like him very much. Individuals Living *Count Soffta (For threatening his life in order to get Cawti out of prison) *Sethra the Younger (after he broke down the Yendi Conspiracy, and discredited and humiliated her in the process) *The Sorceress in Green (after he broke down the Yendi Conspiracy and discredited and humiliated her in the process) *Toronnan (for his support of Kelly's Movement) *Herth (for his attempts to uncover the person who ordered Franz's death) *Vonnith (for his attempts to uncover the Orca conspiracy) *Reega (for his attempts to uncover the Orca conspiracy) *Caola (for interfering with her designs in South Adrilankha) *Triesco (for killing members of the Left Hand of the Jhereg) *Terion (for interfering with his bid for leadership of the Jhereg Council) *Nylanth (for interfering with his move into South Adrilankha) Deceased *Loraan (for stealing back Aliera's soul, as well as Spellbreaker. And helping kill him. Twice!.) *Mellar (Vlad was hired to assassinate him, and eventually did.) *Laris (because he stood in the way of the Yendi Conspiracy) *Boralinoi (for his role in the Revolt of 244, and getting him killed.) *Ishtvan (for his betrayal of the Organization) *Stony (for his attempts to uncover the Orca conspiracy) *Domm (for his attempts to uncover the Orca conspiracy) *Crithnak (for destroying her sister's soul, and having her killed.) *''Crithnak's sister'' (destroyed her soul, didn't even know her name!) Unknown *Ori (because he assisted Morrolan in locating the sword stolen after Baritt's death) *Fornia(because he assisted Morrolan in locating the sword stolen after Baritt's death) *Bajinok (for his attempts to uncover the person who ordered Franz's death) Groups *The Jhereg Council (for his betrayal of Boralinoi to the Empire, and assaulting Count Soffta) *The government of Greenaere, especially His Majesty Corcor'n (for his assassination of Haro Olithorvold) *The Jenoine (he killed one with Godslayer and foiled one of their plans) *The Left Hand of the Jhereg (for foiling their designs on South Adrilankha) *Kelly's Movement, sort of. *Basically everyone else. Former Employees The following individuals worked for Vlad at various times during the period where he ran a section of Adrilankha. Living *Kragar (running the area that Vlad formerly ran) *Chimov *Glowbug Deceased *Machen *Melestav *N'aal *Narvane *Quion *Shoen *Sticks *Temek *Varg *H'noc Unknown *Miraf'n *Wyrn Quotables *"By Verra's tits!" --(Issola (book)) *"No matter how subtle a wizard, a knife between the shoulder blades will seriously cramp his style." --(Yendi (book)) *"Heh." *"Shut up, Loiosh." *"Say, are those real spears?" -- (Taltos (book)) *"Yeah. You go down and hold 'em off while I set up the ballista." -- (Taltos (book)) *"Sometimes winning is painful, but it's always better than losing." -- (Dragon (book)) *"I'm generalizing from one example, here, but everyone generalizes from one example. At least, I do." -- (Issola (book)) *Now that I think about it, most of my life has consisted of taking the opening that desperation required and opportunity presented. -- (Issola (book)) *''"Don't you ever miss the days when you used to be nostalgic?"'' -- (Dzur (book)) *"Never underestimate the power of a hissy cow." *''"I went to the place where no one returns from except for those who do"'' *"What if there were no hypothetical situations?" -- (Iorich (book)) Category:Characters Category:Jhereg Category:Easterners